This invention relates to the bulk collection of strand, and in particular, to the bulk collection of texturized strand. A strand of glass filaments is typically formed by attenuating molten glass through a plurality of orifices in a bottom plate of a bushing. The filaments are attenuated by applying tractive forces to the streams of glass, so as to attenuate the streams. The filaments are coated with a size or binder material which serves to provide a lubricating quality to the individual filaments to provide them with abrasion resistance. The glass filaments are sized with the size material substantially immediately after they are formed. The filaments are gathered in parallel relationship to form a strand.
In conventional filament forming systems, the streams of glass have been attenuated by winding the filaments on an exterior of a rotating tube. The strand of filaments is wound on the tube as a cylindrical package. The winding device with the rotating tube pulls the filaments and collects the strand.
Instead of winding the strand around a rotating tube, the strand may be gathered into a container. The strand is typically collected in a container when it is attenuated by a pulling device such as mating wheels or a pair of belts. A bulk collection of strand can be easily shipped and used in subsequent processes.
Texturized strand is continuous strand that has been expanded or texturized. The fibers in the strand are separated to give the strand a full, wool-like appearance. Texturized strand has good acoustic and thermal insulative properties. Texturized strand is typically used in sound absorbers.
Sound absorbers are used to reduce noise emissions and have numerous applications, for example, a muffler for a vehicle. A conventional sound absorber often includes a sound absorbing material, such as fiberglass wool, that is disposed between a housing and an inner tube and that dampens or attenuates noise in the gas flowing through the muffler.
One process for manufacturing a sound absorber with texturized strand is to directly fill the sound absorber with the strand. U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,471 to Ingemansson et al. (“Ingemansson”) relates to a process and apparatus for feeding lengths of continuous glass fiber strands into a muffler outer shell such that the fiber strands are expanded into a wool-like material inside the shell. The manufacturing process in Ingemansson requires that expensive apparatus be available at manufacturing locations where muffler shells are filled with sound absorbing material. In addition, some muffler types have intricate shapes and are not easily filled with sound absorbing material such that the sound absorbing material uniformly fills the entire inner cavity of the muffler shell.
A need exists for an inexpensive way to collect texturized strand in a bulk form which permits the subsequent use of the strand. A need also exists for an inexpensive way to collect texturized strand so that it can be pulled from the container in which it is collected.